She must learn again to speakstarting with Istarting with Westarting as the infant doeswith her own true hungerand pleasure and rage.

-- Marge Piercy

May 19 Could I? Would I?

We were supposed to turn our final paper into "something" creative for our Spiritual Director class.

I danced.

To honor myself and the teachers and the cohort I'm traveling with...the pain and the joys we've all had to endure. For me, the traveling, the sickness from being too exhausted, the almost quitting the program, the barely being able to speak. After all, what was I thinking after a year and a few months after having my stroke? Spiritual Directors need to talk, (don't they)?

Everyone accepted me, and slowly I started to believe in myself. Enough so, that I could dance. It was lesson in receiving from them for two years, and giving back to them in the form of dance.

And it was wonderful.

Usually, when I take a chance on myself this big, I want to hide afterwards. Not so this time. This time was different. I felt carried.

During the last chorus, I invited people to come up...and they all did, not a moments hesitation, and danced and sang, "Shoulder to shoulder around the fire." It will be something I will always remember.

But, even more, I will remember the presentations that came or after mine. Jeff, who did a deep visio meditation; Tom, who asked the very important question, who am I and who are you, God?; Ricky, who wrote a beautiful poem called "The Dance" (I swear, we didn't collaborate, or even know until that day!); Marsha cooked some awesome food for us and set-up the table exquisitely; Dan, who did a presentation featuring a lot of his gorgeous photos; Carol, who taught us Universal Peace dance, and who put up with us while we laughed; Marilyn shared what the teachings of Meher Baba has meant to her; Kathy shared her music and her wonderful voice; Christina ended the day with a powerful grief and loss ritual.

Leslie and Mary Louise were there, too, so much. One in Costa Rica without internet (Leslie) and one in heaven (Mary Louise).

I am honored to walk with you on this journey, and it's just beginning.

(A couple of notes about the presentation that follows: I stood while they were watching the first part (and considered whether to run out of the room), the dance was the second part, the last slide. Thank you to Mike who let me borrow his laptop. I had never used Keynote (thank God for Dan), and this is the first time I've up-loaded to YouTube before, the sounds a little off, but you get the picture)!